Amazon Makes Phone Calls? Think again…

With over 300 million customer accounts for the picking, it’s not a surprise that scammers have been targeting Amazon sellers and customers.

Amazon Sellers Beware

Scammers are actively calling Amazon sellers to access their personal accounts. Sellers are asked to log into a fake site with their username and password. This then gives scammers access to their information and account. Scammers will have the ability to damage the seller’s name and reputation by listing fake products, changing their existing offers, and transferring payments to their own accounts.

Amazon Customers Aren’t Safe Either

A popular scam targeting customers, are fraudulent emails from Amazon Customer Service. Amazon customers will receive an email notifying them of questionable Amazon login activity. The email requests that they call an 800 number to reset their account. When the victim calls the number, the scammer directs them to a fraudulent website. The customer is then asked to enter their email address, a code provided in the email, and their Amazon login credentials. Unfortunately, this provides scammers access to the victim’s account, giving them the ability to make fraudulent charges and access to personal information.

Customers should also watch out for Google and Bing search results pulling up fake Amazon customer support phone numbers. When the victim calls the “so-called legitimate toll-free number”, a scammer claims to be an Amazon Customer Service agent. Similar to the fraudulent email scam, they will direct the customer to a malicious website and request they enter their email address, provided code, and Amazon login credentials. Once again, the scammer now has access to the victim’s account and personal information.

Avoid Becoming A Scammers Next Victim

Here are a few tricks and tips to help you from becoming a victim of any of these Amazon scams:•Confirm that you are calling a legitimate Amazon number•If you receive an unexpected call from Amazon requesting personal information, do not give out your Amazon password, credit card number, or financial information.•If you receive an unsolicited email, do not reply with personal information.• Never use Amazon.com Gift Cards for payment outside of Amazon.•Do not provide any gift card details (like the claim code) to anyone you do not know or trust.•Avoid payment requests for Amazon.com Gift Card claim codes.•Avoid payment requests to guarantee transactions.• Avoid offers that seem too good to be true.

Rotem Helfman is a Recruiter at Hiya. Aside from recruiting, she helps the Hiya Marketing Team by researching and contributing blogs on phone scams and phone protection. Rotem is experienced in Talent Management in the startup world and holds a Master Degree in Industrial-Organizational Psychology from SPU.